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popculturebuffet · 6 months ago

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Here Comes Garfield: The Garfield Movie Review!: Colossal, Stupdendous one might go as far to say.. Mediocre (Patreon Review for Emma Fici)

Hello all you happy people and welcome back to here comes garfield, my look at all the garfield specials and now his film career. Which I realize now means I probably have to do Garfield The Movie At Some Point... and... Tale of Two Kittles.. and Pet Force...

That exesntial horror aside, today that means we're looking at the recently released Garfield Movie. The Garfield Movie comes to us from Columbia Pictures, which Sony will never let you forget is 100 years old and they own every year of that now with the 100 years logo they plopped in front of this and Ghostbusters: It Was Meh.

The film has gotten the predictably mixed reactions from a less ambitious kids film: Kids clearly love it, my own niece and nephew included, Critics loathe it and a lot of people who saw it ironically gave it one star on Letterboxd. In other words it'll likely get at least one more sequel and possibly a streaming spinoff on whoever pulls the biggest dumptruck of money up to sony's house.

So let's dig into this film: Why it's such an easy target, how good it really is, what dosen't work, and what delicoius layers it has.

The Chris Pratt Problem

Before we get into the movie, let's get into WHY it became such an easy target. And the first and biggest reason is the simplist: who they choose to play the fat cat the cool cat the nobody's fool cat: Mr Chris Pratt

Chris Pratt's casting became a meme quickly and it's understandable why: Not only was this on the heels of his questionable (if ultimately decent enough) casting in Mario but both castings felt.. Lazy. Like an exec googled "Celebreity Man" and went with the most afforadable option. Pratt isn't a bad actor. As a person... I didn't have the bandwith to full research that and shift out the genuinely douchey actions from the internet herasy. Seems like he might be bit of a dick, can't prove it. But as an actor he can be good: he was great on parks and rec, in the lego movie and in the guardians trilogy. The probelm is like a lot of actors, once he got famous, he started becoming the best imintation of himself: most of his parts like jurassic world tend to just be him doing what people now expect to be Chris Pratt TM performances. For instance Star Lord.. is a fleshed out hot mess of a character, with some depth and some genuinely emotional moments despite often being the butt of a joke. The Guy From Jurassic World.. is just that without the depth or any real character beyond "Raptor Pal who wants to bang Bryce Dallas Howard". It's not all his parts, the bullk is still good, but he's sliding very comfortably into not giving a shit if he dosen't have to and it's not a good look. I love Ryan Renolds but he can also be like that, and his better roles are when he dosen't like Deadpool. For as big a thing as it's become and as much money as he's making you can tell he's making the third one not because it'll make him even richer, but because he loves the part.

With both of these rolls it feels like Chris signed on because

He DOES give it a decent try, being pretty good as mario and alright as Garfield, but it's easy to see why there isn't a ton of enthusasim. When Ben Schwartz got Sonic the Hedgehog he was fukcing pumped, brought it and really sunk into the role. He's easily one of the Blue Blur's best voice actors and you can tell he loves the franchise. I'm not saying you have to love a franchise going into a part.. but it dosen't feel like Chris Pratt really put his soul into it and as corprate as Mario and Garfield are, these are characters with life to them. I'm not saying you can't do a good roll for a paycheck, see Orson Wells as Unicron, but fans aren't going to give you a lot of room if you don't seem to give a shit you got such a big part that is important to them.

I don't think Pratt sinks the film.. but he was far from the best choice. The best choice, in my opinon.. would've been nick offerman. He's a big comedy name, has a lot of talent, has done plenty of voice acting, currently headlining fox's best show The Great North, and has that low sarcastic voice that can be used for a bunch of diffrent moods. Jason Mantzokus is a close second choice as his gravly ness fits garfield and he can both be earnestly sarcastic AND energetic, both things garfield needs. I know the latter is ironic but the guy is emotive when necessary. But putting aside my choices he just feels like he's doing "Chris Pratt". He's good ENOUGH, but the film could've found better and has such a standout cast, including another possible choice in Brett Goldstein, that he sticks out as the guy whose just kinda.. there.. and he's in the lead roll. he's not bad and gets some great deliveries in places, but he's servicable. It's a hard roll to nail, for me only Lorenzo Music and Bill Murray have truly got it, with Frank Welker trying his best but just not quite nailing it. There's a reason there was a bit of a gap before Welker took up the roll: Music is a hard mountain to climb, Murray happens to just exude slacker energy it's not easy. But they could've tried HARDER instead of going with "well generic hollywood guy will sell tickets"

Garfield Sells Out

The next issue is one I can cover pretty quickly:

The Garfield Movie has gotten flack for it's various bits of product placement: Garfield eats POPChips, there's Olive Garden leftovers in the fridge, and his dad orders things from Wall Mart. There's also possible FexEx and Tinder advertisment I missed I found looking at articles or two and credit to the daily best for the first and reddit for the second. There are adds for big corportaions in this film and while that's not NEW , until a discussion with my friend Emma I hadn't realized how much the MCU advertizes (And just for clarity I love a lot of the mcu and Emma is neutral), it is wince inducing in a film primarily aimed at kids. It works decently for adults (raises hand), but I get the target demo and while they get advertised to plenty, it's still scummy to cram this into the movie itself.

I have nothing against the food tie ins: Stouffers doing one for their lasanga is too sensical not to do, as is having olive garden make a cameo in the film itself, Tastykae's garfield cake was adorablea nd delicious, and popchips, while certainly not the kind of greasy snack garfield would gravitate too, are the kind of casual snack food I could see him at least trying... or more accurately Jon buys them, Garfield eats everything else because he assumes like many boomers "Healthy=bad" and finds out he was wrong and orders more. It's still mildly manipulative, but it's nothing new: Kids get sold food to them all the time.

That being said.. it's still fucked up how much product placement is in the film, even if it's spread out well and while I do wish we'd stop getting SO MANY ARTICLES on it included Cracked claming the drones in the film are Sony trying to get kids to accept drones more

I get the impulse: We want to protect children and while I was originally going to be more critical of this, the more I thought about it the more scummy it felt. The Product Placement isn't to say add a layer of authentiity by using a real brand or because it's fun, it's just.. so cheap and blatant. It's just whatever brand wanted that garfield money. The film does HAVE food at the center: Garfield meets John in an itallian restraunt and has to pull a milk heist and neither place is a real life brand.. which begs the question why all the others were flavor blasted in there. There's no real need to shill and the movie would've been fine doing tie ins out of universe. I get we live in a corprate hellscape but you don't HAVE to advertise to chidlren and their parents and to sad middle aged men like me. You can just.. make a movie. Let that be the "product" if your that cynical. All you did to the brands involved is remind people "Oh yeah they sold out in that one movie". Well with Olive Garden if your sonic you also make me go to it .. or this film... but Olive Garden is delicious.

So onto the third major problem had with the film

We've Been Here Before

The third is something I can agree with: the plot is stock as hell. While the film has good points i'll get to, the basic plot is one seen in dozens of other animated films. A hero is thrown out of a lot in life their either happy with or tell themselves they are, but are thrown into a CRAZY adventure by circumstance that they must go on to get that life back while learning something along the way. To prove HOW common this is I decided to go through my film list on Letterboxd and put all of the animated ones I found that adhere to this formula into one image. It wasn't nearly as many as I expected.. but I still found about 40 diffrent films with this formula in some way

And please note this formula in of itself.. isn't a bad one. A lot of great films are made on this premise. To prove this let me take out the films I don't like from this grid

Your still left with a ton of stone cold classics. You'll also notice the breakdown for the original is 1/8th garfield. The first three specials, the first bill murray film and the second dtv film really do all fall into this formula somehow.

The key is that the formula isn't inherently bad: All these films start with the protagonists comfortable or about ot be and whisked into danger but they all go in such diffrent directions. Heartwarming child bonding comedies, a meditation on jealousy and our own realities, betting a black man's freedom in a way that the producers had to know was fucked up, space dolphin played by matt berry, everyone has their own way.

This film... dosen't do anything NEW with it: The film just stacks other animation tropes and cliches on top: you have our hero whose spoiled by what he has, has issues with his parents, has to go on an adventure adressing those issues, deals with a theatrical yet intimidating main villian and their two dumb and sympathetic henchman, gets training from a mentor with a tragic backstory to do a heist, the heist goes bad, the relatoinship that got built up over th efilm is semeingly shattered but OH NO IT WAS A MISUNDERSTANDING and the climax happens cumulating in everyone being one big happy family.

I could do the grid thing with practically every trope in this movie and it just kinda plays the hits. It reminds me of the Super Mario Movie last year: I liked that one too, but it's mostly carried by the visual spectacle, seeing the creators meticuously turn mario's patchwork world into a living breathing place, to see a giant version of dk island, to see Bowser's Kingdom in all it's glory. It's still a decent film, but it uses a pretty stock framework to do it because either the execs wanted that or the creators didn't feel they had the room to really push it. I could see the same problem here as you have Sony, Viacom and various sponsors Sony wants shoved in all wanting a say. This dosen't feel like say Across the Spider-Verse (Same parent companY) or Nimona (Same production company) where they had more freedom, so they just went with a formula that worked for other movies and worked for garfield before. The question is does that formula ruin the movie? Is there enough to still make it enjoyable despite being stock as hell?

Yes

The film is still pretty damn fun and feels like a welcome return to the character after being gone in other media for almost a decade. As Quinton Reviews pointed out in his review of this film, the Garfield Show ended in 2016. It's been a WHILE since the orange tabby's been animated, with his only apperances otherwise being in video games, showing up in Lasanga Party, Garfield Kart and being a guest racer in Nicktoons Kart Racers 3 and a fighter in both all star brawl games, all welcome as it's just.. fun to play as garfield. Does he have any real connection to nickelodeon besides them owning the property now? Nope. Is it fun to have him anyways? hell yeah. Have him hit the avatar with a pie, either one!

The strip still exists but like many aging comic strips it's clamped to it's formula. I've been reading it daily for a few months now and while there are occasional gems

It's mostly the same stuff. You can find better jokes by buying the first few three in ones. It's not nearly as bad as some other legacy strips, seriously why is Blondie still around, but it sticks out in an age where more cartoons like Heart of the City or Nancy are allowing someone to flat out reboot the strip and try something different.

With a movie you have that blank slate to do whatever and while it does a standard animated movie TM with it to a point, the film does try some neat stuff I can't help but admire.

The biggest point is the animation. DNEG did the animation here and went above and beyond the call. I love their designs, combinging modern garfield with some of the classic garfield heft and proportions: his limbs are still super skinny, but they aren't as gangly as they are in the strip, feeling more in line with his body and the head resembles the one from the early 80's more. The eyes are also without a line, which seems like a small detail but ups the expressivness, something key to garfield as "funny facial expressions" are one of Garfield's best bits.

Slapstick is where this franchise thrives and the film mostly does this well. I wish there were more, but it has some fun visual gags: while it was trailered to hell and back, the fluffy fur gag is pretty funny. All the gags with Roland, big bad Jinx's muscle played by Roy Bloody Kent himself Brett Goldstein has a lot of fun gags: How this wall of folds and muscle just.. will show up any time Garfield tries to leave, disappearing behind a sign and pulling a cell phone out of his folds his boss refuses to touch. It's not a ton, but it's a lot of fun and while he must've been a nightmare to animate, so, many, FOLDS, it results in a character that's just inherently funny to see walk around and Goldstein's gruff voice just adds to it.

There's other great btis like Garfield and Vic stuck to a tree and using the vines to beat the hell out of each other, garfield getting smacked into a car windsheild and more.

The animation is just gorgeously expressive: the non garfield cast may be somewhat stock but damn are they fun to watch and the main trio (and Liz and Nermal in very brief cameos) are at their best. IT's fun to look at, visually gorgeous and easily the best part of the film: the film may not remotely stack up to some of the masterpieces we've gotten, nor does it try to, but it does look great while having a lot of fun doing it.

Since we're talking character let's look at our cast and starting at the top Billing we have Garfield himself. Like I said Chris Pratt does.. fine. Would've preferred Nick Offerman, gold star to whoever brought that up, but he dosen't ruin the character and is still dryly sarcastic enough.

Characterization wise he's a tad diffrent: He's not nearly as much of a dick to Jon and Odie, something CellSpex pointed out in their own review might be corprate not wanting Garfield to be as dickish and thus less markketable. While I do think that's the case, I also think they threaded the needle well: Garfield is still a massive douchey orange blob to them, but it's in less over the top ways: him pummeling john or punting Odie siimply dosen't play as well, so instead he maxes out John's credit cards and Odie is essentially his butler. The former isn't super funny, but is fitting enough, and it's telling Jon, pushover he's always been, dosen't really push back against it, while having Odie instead be his hyper compentetn sidekick works. It could've backfired, turning Odie into something like say the minons that say s"please merchandise me", but instead it gives Garfield a foil, someone to make passive agressive dog noises or leave him tied to his dad on a tree. Odie is still dumb, but having him be garfield's slightly more emotoinally sasvy and competient sidekick still works well and gives him more than just "ain't he dumb" as a joke for a 90 minute runtime.

Jon is done incredibly well here but I wish there was more of him. This seems to be the sentiment across most reviews, and I can't blame my fellow critics on this one: Nicholas Hoult equals Thom Huge at the part, and like Garfield it's not easy. But it works by doing it a diffrent way: Thom had a dry sarcasm to his john that contrasted nicely with his manic dorky side, while Nicholas Hoult just leans into John as a loveable mess and it works. His panic as he tries to reign in a kitten garfield from eating an entire itallian restraunt, resignment as he washes the cat, and general bafflement at his pet fits the character like a glove.

Sadly the plot.. really dose't leave much room for Jon. It's understandable: Even if his mouth now moves, Jon can't undrestand garfield and the film outlines this, with an app specifically to translate animals being needed and only being known to exist by an unhinged security guard. It still would've been fun to give him more of a b plot looking for his pets, maybe rope in liz or irma from the diner as side characters.

What B-Plot we do get though.. is easily the best joke of the film. Jon is left on hold by a lost pet hotline for SEVERAL DAYS growing more hilariously deshevleed along the way. There is nothing more jon arbuckle than the world pantsing him while he's down and his deranged rant to the guard at the pound when he picks up the boys that "I'm done waiting! The Jon who is waiting is dead!" is fucking great, as is his bafflement when the boys run out on him after getting home to go save Garfield's dad, and his wondering if he triggered garfield when Garfield runs out to bring his dad home at the end. Hoult plays a perfectly pathetic jon, the relatable doofus we all know and love and I hope any future projects both bring him on board and give him more to do. The man is brillaint

Likewise Harvey Gullien is great as Odie. He has to commuincate using barely intellgible dog sounds, and of course great visuals from DNEG, but does so well. The man's voice acting career is a slow burn but man should he do more. He was great in Puss in Boots, is aces here and should be in most animated films from here on out. If Sony needs an Alan Tudyk, they've got one.

Onto supporting we have Garfield's Father, Vic, played by Samuel L Jackson. Vic is a big kitty who left garfield behind as a kitten and whose past crimes force his son into a heist wtih him. Look like Keith David I could listen to Sam Jack all day, easy. He has a talent for being awesome no matter the movie and no matter how much he's just in it for a paycheck. He's playing a fairly stock "ex con dad" type character who wonders into his child's life and tries to reconcile, but he has so much fun with it it's hard to really notice and the design, a big giant muscly blob, works well as a contrast to garfield: both are big soft boys, but Vic clearly lifts.

The plot between the two is cliche, I won't lie.. son is bitter his father left but DADDY HAD A GOOD REASON FOR ABANDONING YOU and if done wrong can have some bad implications. If a parent left you and is a dick, you have no obligation to them. Even if their not you don't really.

The twist that Vic didn't MEAN to abandon garfield was obvious from a mile away: even seeing the trailer it was clear he probably wasn't the asshole Garfield thought he was. But to the film's credit they don't hide that it's more complicated: from the get go Vic TRIES to explain he left, but Garfield's both understandably pissed he said he'd "be right back" and never came back and that Vic's old partner Jinx is forcing garfield into the film's heist simply to fuck with vic. It's also the right push to get Garfield into the plot: i've seen complaints about how "oh this big heist film isn't garfield he just lies around the house".. .but a key element of most of the specials and the other movies is garfield kinda gets.. shoved into adventure. Here Come Garfield happens because the next door neighbor has the pound come and Odie's too stupid to run for it. He tries to ignore his friend being lost, and tries to tell Jon who naturally dosen't get his charades, but ultimately goes to save him. The key to getting garfield into an adventure is to push him into it: either he has an emotoinal investment or , like in this case, he really has no choice, like that time he fought a panther to protect Jon. You CAN get plenty of good slice of life nonsense out of the boy but i get that for a specail or movie you have to kick it up a notch and having Garfield forced into a life of crime fits well.

It's a bit fucking weird, but again so is garfield. It's something people tend to forget or don't really care to look up and that came up in a lot of reviews, but the specials could get werid. Garfield was on a talent show, went through 9 very diffrent very fucking weird lives, was a private eye, had a whole spy pastiche adventure in his daydreams, went to hawaii to stop a volcano with the help of Fonzie's ghost.. or was it james dean's ghost? it was someone's ghost, and of course met ghost pirates. Not every adventure was fucking insane, but it bears repeating sometimes the strip or specials or especially the show got weird, and that's alright. Frankly the films could go weirder and less stock, but this really isn't out of his wheelhouse. Like with Scooby Doo maybe research a franchise before you bitch about it. not saying everything's gold, lord no, but I am saying the franchise is way more experimental than it gets credit for.

The twist on WHY vic left though.. is heartbreaking. This ties back to the opening which you can see most of in a trailer: vic abandons his son, Jon finds baby garfield outside the window while he's having a sad single man meal at an itallian restraunt, Garfield eats everything in sight and Jon still adores his pet. The only part left out is Jon almost leaves Garfield behind, as his apparement dosen't allow pets.. but goes back. Why they added this.. I don't know.. but their origin is truly hearwarming and may be another reason why they toned down the asshole to Garfield being less of an abusive roomate and more Jon's spoiled teenage son.

Naturally though we didn't see VIC'S side: he went to steal some food for his son, had to wait for the worker's long as hell phone call becaues some dick won't feed a stray cat. I mean I get they come back but counter argument: who cares. As long as you don't invite a roving pack of cats, help the starving kitty you ass. At any rate by the time vic got back with half a fish, his son was gone and he watched the whole scene at the itallian restraunt.. and then watched Jon come back, realizing Jon gave his son a better life. He gave his son up so he could. As for why he never visted it's the painful but truthful worry of ruining his son's new life: vic's a career heist man, an alley cat and garfield was comfortable. The sad irony is garfield.. woudl've welcomed his dad in. Jon being Jon would've gladly adopted him. Garfield wanted both HIS dads. Vic instead watched from a nearbye tree, a revelation garfield only gets in the pound after Vic fakes a double cross... when really he knows Jinx will NEVER let garfield free of her grasp and thus returns the milk from the heist himself. Naturally garfield realizes this, gets a drone fleet to help him rescue his dad along with the bull they befriended earlier, and saves the day.. and Vic still plans to leave but ultiamtely garfield convinces him to stay. Is it a tad cliche? Sure. Did it still knock my fucking heart out? yes.

Outside of this emotoinal arc, Vic is a lot like his son, but more active, having more world skills... and it's not really played up. Vic's emotinal arc is well done but outside of it he dosen't have much charater. Only the fact he's played by sam Jack really lets him be a character. He's not BAD but I wish they'd fleshed him out more outside of his tragic backstory. It moves me.. but there's not much else to the guy.

Onto our bad guys, and Jinx, our main villian is a delight. She has a decent motive too: She was once a would be show cat, but choked on stage, genuinely found family with Vic.. and turned vengeful when he left her behind on a job, her hate twisting her into the operatic selfish tyrant we see today with her two henchman Roland, the foldy brett goldstein boy I mentioned before and Rupert, his twitchy partner played by SNL and Fire Island's Bowen Yang. Roland is great mostly due to the expressive animation and Goldstein's deadpan delivery. Youc an almost feel rupert about to threaten

Good times. yang.. gets less to do. Roland is just kinda there because they felt they HAD to have a pair of henchman and coudln't have just one big british foldy boy. It's also weird to me they didn't go with another ted lasso cast member. There's tons of options and if you already got the big bad and one of her henchman from there commit to the bit. The show's lined with talent.

Speaking of which Jinx is voiced by Hannah Waddingham, who like Goldstein was a dream on Ted Lasso. She also was recently in the fall guy which you should watch. Seriously .. go.. go do that. It's fucking incredible. At any rate she makes the most of the role hamming it up to all hell, giving Jinx a nice manical quality. Jinx isn't given a ton of layers outside of her backstory, but is hilarous enoguh with her big fluffy persian cat presensce, general evil dickery and awesome villian song that for some weird reason wasn't actually put in the film proper but makes the credits a joy to sit through, she's a LOT of fun and you can tell Waddingham is knawing on the scenery in the recording booth and loving it. I like her getting to flex her range post-ted lasso, already terrific as Rebecca but now getting to play a nice variety of parts. Jinx wouldn't be the same without Waddingham and the casting was perfect

Our penultimate major character is Otto. Otto is a bull and garfield's grumpy mentor with a tragic backstory because everyone has a tragic backstory in this movie except Odie and that's because they cut the scene of Lyman getting shot to death in the falkland's war. He's a bull who was part of the farm Garfield has to heist with is daddy guy, and was removed from it because the new owners are dicks, desperate to get back his one true love Ethel. He's played by Ving Rahmes, who does a great job and the character honestly isn't bad, it's just.. weridly sandwitched into this movie. A ways in and we suddenly get this guy who should be leading this whole other movie. The heist itself fits decently enough, but this whole tragic past, his history with the guard Margie, it feels like a whole other film that Garfield and Friends just wondered into.

Otto is fun to watch, his serious as hell tone contrasting with things like assinging Garfield roadkill or his deadpan assement that Garfield and Vic are going to die and are only ready because they'd need a month and have a day. He's not bad, he' sjust a bit undercooked> he does get his happy ending with Ethel back, so tha'ts nice, it just feels like another character in a cast that probably didn't need one more guy.

Finally we have Marge, the security guard played by Schmigadoon! star Cecily Strong. Strong fucking brings it to marge, who could easily just be this obstacle of a villian but instead is this super obessed guard who has a score to settle with vic, instantly recognizes that jinx calling to set vic up (And hilariously it just being Hannah Waddingham saying meow a lot), is a cat informing on someone, and has this unhinged energy the film needs and that fits garfield like a glove. Garfield is all about unhinged weirdos wondering into his life in other media. She provides a jolt of energy for the heist section and a nice way to payoff things later as she trades the truck for ethel and takes in Roland and Rupert while taking Jinx to the pound.. or to an unmarked grave. Marge.. is hard to read. I just love her though, having this werido who understand this elaborate animal plot somehow. Beauitful.

We also have a few smaller roll: Snoop Dogg plays a cat

Dev Joshi plays Liz for all of 5 seconds, and for some reason Jeff Foxworthy plays a bird for even less time.

The cast overall is decent, if a bit overstuffed, but iwth good enough performances to make you not care.

Before we move on a complaint i've seen here or there is that they don't really use garfield's supporting cast. I agree on Jon, Nicholas Hoult was too damn good to use that little, but for the rest of the cast.. I get it. None of them really fit into the narrative that well: Arlene, The Meanest Dog in the World, Nermal might of fit as members of the heist crew, it woudl've been intresting to see them gather one, but otherwise Jon's Parents, who I dearly love, don't quite fit (It'd be fucking werid to have garfield rob people he knows instead of a souless corperation0, Irma has no real place and Lyman got shot to death in the falkland islands. Other than their neighbors who used to show up, Garfield has no other recurring characters to use. it WOULD have been neat to use the US Acres cast for the heist, again could've gone full ocean's elven, but I get not adding even MORE characters to a crowded film, and possibly saving them for another movie down the line. Again Garfield dosen't have a big bench to pull from: if you have that full a cast that can stand on it's own and possibly anchor their own film, I can't blame the mfor saving them. Same for Arelen and Nermal Garfield falling in love or having to deal with his greatest enemy are both things that could anchor a sequel.

The Big Fat Hairy Conclusoin

So overall the Garfield Movie is.. fine. It's nothing exceptional, but it has a LOT of fun energy to it and out of the films i've seen i'ts easily the best.. and frankly I doubt Tale of Two Kitties or Pet Force is better. The film does have way too much advertising, a stock plot and way more characters than it needs.. but it compesates by mostly nailing the characters from the comic, having some of the guest characters be intresting, and when they aren't all parties involved are buffered by talented voice acting and gorgeous animation. This film is okay, and if you don't like Garfield, you probably won't like this film. If you like some goofy animation and some schmaltz though, you'll likely enjoy this one like I did. It's not perfect by a mile, but it adapts the strip's tone and style well, adds some florishes here and there, and leaves the door open for more. And frankly with it's success it gives me hope that other comic strips might get adaptations. After Paramount's treament of Phoebe and her Unicorn and Big Nate, we could use somre more comic strip movies with this level of animation, and maybe some more depth. I'd love to see films for more recent strips like Phoebe and her Unicorn, Wallace the Brave or Breaking Cat News that have both intresting casts to tap into and unique art styles that would look gorgeous on screen. I'd love to see some older strips get a new spin as well like Baldo or Zits, ones with a formula sure but a lot of visual flair. With this and the peanuts movie, we're hopefully seeing more comic strip adaptations and unlike last time this could be something good instead of CGI monsters from beyond the farthest star.

So I leave this film with an "I'ts alright you might like it" and the number two spot in my rankings of the specails i've covered

Next Time (Hopefully): It's Christmas in July so that Means it's time for us to get down on the farm with Jon's family for some musical numbers, home cooking and elaborate back scratcher b plots.

#garfield #the garfield movie #jinx #chris pratt #hannah waddingham #brett goldstein #john arbuckle #odie #nicholas hoult #samuel l jackson #harvey guillen #film #animation #sony #columbia pictures #here comes garfield

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bluektw · 5 months ago

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Fucking hell. Let's talk about Episode 4 ok?

I honestly only want to talk about Rook's Rest, but there's more so let's get this over with

- Love Daemon going insane

- Love Alys and love her voice I could hear her talk for ages (the way she's kinda manifesting Aemond???)

- I want to believe Alicent is taking Moon's tea cause she's scared of getting pregnant and not because she is

- God bless whoever decided to curl Jace's hair and give him personality (love the clash with Rhaenyra)

- I fucking hate Aegon's prophecy and how dumb it makes everyone

- Criston and Gwayne have such an interesting dynamic and they should've more scenes together (Same with Mysaria and Rhaenyra)

- Sunfyre is beautiful and it's REALLY sad we might not see anything about him anymore. I need more. (I LOVED seeing Sunfyre and Aegon in the pit it was so fucking cute)

- Aegon and Aemond speaking in High Valyrian was beautiful.

- Can we stop pretending Viserys was a good king? He only had peace cause others were rulling for him while he played with his stupid Lego

NOW. ROOK'S REST OH MY FUCKING GOD

I might be the only person I know from my friendgroup to really like Criston, and I loved seeing his strategy, it really shows he knew what he was doing and that was amazing.

Also, let me just tell how this:

This is some extreme Jurassic Park stuff. Like I love JP, and this gave me the chills. Like for real I only thought of Indominus Rex seeing Vhagar like this.

Also ok, I'm not really a fan of Rhaenys, but I felt her death. I knew it was coming and all, I was sad cause she was a... Decent enough character, but what really broke me was the ending.

Criston seeing Aegon hurt, dropping the helmet like that shit hurt. And I was one of the people waiting for a "My boy" scene, that he would've screamed for Aegon, that it would be heartbreaking to see it. And it was, Fabien did say "My boy" with his eyes, it was still heartbreaking, but I needed more.

And when you consider he kinda raised those boys, and his relationship with Alicent

Aemond almost killing him was just... I have no words, I get it he was getting revenge for the brothel scene and Aegon was being stupid and all but it was such a risky move (and a dumb one, and Aemond usually is not dumb).

But yeah, until now probably my favorite cause of the battle + Criston.

#hotd season 2 spoilers #criston cole #aegon ii targaryen #aemond targaryen #alicent hightower #where was helaena?#still wish she and Aegon had scenes

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frankendykes-monster · 2 years ago

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I've been eyeballing this set for 20 years:

Dino Research Compound (5987].

The Dino Research Compound is the pinnacle set for the third sub-theme of Adventurers, a pastiche of Indiana Jones. Adventurers is singled out fairly common now for being an example of how, had LEGO always had the opportunity to do licensed sets, they would have, and it gets worse with this sub-theme, Dino Island, getting Jurassic Park (1993) in on the mix.

Dino Island comes immediately after the Egypt and Jungle sub-themes of 1998 and 1999, coming to us in 2000, and sets itself apart by not taking place in a real world location nor concerning itself with the two factions, led by Johnny Thunder and Sam Sinister respectively, fighting over treasure hunting. I'm not sure how most Adventurers fans felt about this shift, but it's fine by me given how much it dials back on the colonialist concepts present at the forefront of the theme.

Dino Island sees the two parties trying to capture dinosaurs, but most of the sets in this sub-theme are stretched a bit thin to try and meet the new concept, as the majority of sets are vehicles with either no dinosaurs or a single Pteranodon or baby T-Rex present. The big multi-piece dinosaurs are saved for the most expensive sets, which is kind of a shame; you'd have to fork over a lot of money to get a T-Rex, but it's a practice that wouldn't stick around forever (see: LEGO Vikings presenting a smaller set with Fafnir so you could get a compromise if you couldn't afford the giant fort with Nidhogg).

This set specifically: we get the main compound, a bridge, a side build with a tree and some machinery, a plane, a jallopy, and a boat! Let's take these one at a time.

The research compound is three stories tall and uses what I'd call "dollhouse" LEGO construction, wherein instead of building up the structure in its entirety, you instead build each story individually and they connect with little clutch power. The bridge doesn't use any clutch power, as it's connected by loosely fitting anti-clip poles, on both sides. The side platform doesn't have a main feature to speak of.

There isn't a "cohesive" quality to the entire build, it's mostly just littered with play features:

There's a dinosaur pen on the first story of the compound that can open up to house the baby T-Rex.

There's a net tosser on the second story.

There's a fall-away floor trap on the second story.

The top of the compound can unfold to reveal a satellite dish (which, may be a historical anachronism given this takes place in the 1920's?)

There's a zip line connecting both main areas that can have some supplies run down.

The tree can be toppled over.

The boat can connect to the crane or a docking point.

The plane can drop a net.

There's a litany of tools lying around, on top of the three vehicles and four dinosaurs, and it didn't hit me until after I had finished assembling it; this is a play set designed for *multiple* children to ideally share. The sheer volume of stuff going on can't mean anything else, and given the original MSRP of $80 (which, regardless of all other economic factors, is a high call for a LEGO set) further leads me to this conclusion.

Talking about more specific features, this set coming out in 2000 isn't a huge shock to the senses after I've purchased and built many 2020's LEGO sets, but it is a strong sign of how much things are different. For one, despite its size, the set only has a little over 600 pieces. An equivalent sized set now would feature two to three times as much. Dino Island was released in the middle of The Lego Group's identity crisis as a company that spawned a huge volume of experimental ideas that mostly did nothing except make builds worse and spawn the most reviled LEGO themes (Znap, Scala, Galidor, Jack Stone, etc.). I was braced for this to be a "juniorized" set but was actually surprised at how satisfying the build was overall. It doesn't feature a raised base plate like the previous two largest Adventurers set, which I might add did suffer from rather homely looking builds.

The low piece count however does mean two things. For one, there is a lot of hollow space in this build. Most rooms in the compound don't have anything going on. The build also doesn't use much any advanced building techniques, it's very much of that classic LEGO design where you aren't doing much more novel than stacking bricks on top of each other. LEGO sets now are kind of insane; you connect bricks to the sides, tops, and bottoms of other bricks, they're there for really intense structural support that gives them the feeling of being impossible to meaningfully break if you dropped them. The Dino Research Compound, on the other hand, is coming apart given any amount of gravitational force. The two vehicles are decent enough, but special mention should go to the plane both for its color scheme and how it isn't built on an obnoxiously large plate, though I'm not sure if I've seen any actual planes have two completely separate pilot compartments.

Also of note is the inclusion of the "old" brown color which has since then become replaced by a shade of brown slightly lighter and more reddish. The roofing pieces with the rust prints, the green base plate with the rounded edge, and the Stegosaurus with dark orange legs (another discontinued color) are all set exclusives. I kept my eyes out for pieces from the experimental era, large and highly situational parts. Probably my favorite thing about LEGO now is how pieces can be repurposed for any number of designs, and seeing late 1990's sets like those from Rock Raiders make me cringe because of how highly specialized parts they include. The boat caught my eye, considering it's all one piece and not brickbuilt, but much to my surprise it's a piece still in use now. There's an oddball mix of what's brickbuilt and what's not however, such as the sextant being all one piece but the microscope is built from scratch.

You get the entire cast from Dino Island minus Sam Sinister's sister (name is eluding me right now). For dinosaurs, you get everything from this line sans the Triceratops. The baby T-Rex has a single connection on the bottom, and can be held by a minifigure comfortably. The Pteranodon is an odd one. It's feet are clamps but there's not much use for them, but it can be put onto any 2x2 stud surface, and it has two studs on top. The Tyrannosaurus and Stegosaurus both have four studs on top (perfectly for a minifigure to ride on) along with a 4x6 foot print. Though they're the titular characters, the dinosaurs are rather tiny compared to their actual size and should be considered accessories rather than the stars. The Stegosaurus reuses the tail from a LEGO crocodile, and the Tyrannosaurus reuses the arms from a LEGO dragon, firmly placing them into the LEGO animal family, which makes it a shame that none of these molds lived past 2001.

If there's anything else of note, for one, the front of the box opens up to give a peak at the pieces inside. The right side of the box includes a plastic insert to show off all the dinosaurs, and there's a cardboard divider as well. This and the set's construction make it easy to just disassemble the big chunks and comfortably put them back in for storage. The instructions also include some brief steps for alternate builds, at a very rare period when LEGO actually did that, though the alternative builds aren't anything special. The instructions also end on a brief summary of the species included, though since LEGO instructions are supposed to be language independent, there's not much they can do. Interesting to see lumbering tail-dragging dinosaurs in 2000 however. What seals the overall set for me is this set includes the same 2001 catalog I originally saw this in, it all comes around full circle...

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imthepunchlord · 2 years ago

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What's your opinion on Jurassic Park? I'm at a dinosaur Park and is... disappointing. I liked th lego series though, never saw the movies, but planning to.

I like Jurassic Park. I agree with the many that it's the best of the Jurassic franchise. A lot of the characters are likable, you care enough that you want to see them survive, and it's a really good suspenseful horror.

It's actually something I wish Jurassic as a franchise stuck with, I think it better performed when it was a suspenseful, surviving horror story, cause by set up, it should be. These are revived ancient creatures that we have limited understanding of, and because there are modifications that don't have them matching up with the true dinosaurs, there's even less understood and more unpredictability cause what we know now may not even fit with these chimeras. And Jurassic Park was a forewarning to humanity being proud and zealous enough to play God and that's part of the appeal of horror, some of it is a forewarning to what could come or choices, like, Alien is a forewarning to letting in disease without real caution for it. There's also some forewarning the dangers of climate change.

Either way, nowadays Jurassic franchise is more suspenseful action. Which, some of that action is good, like, World's climatic fight was amazing to watch. But many of it doesn't have that same hit that JP has, and I think a big part of that is a loss of the horror aspect. Like, much of World, you don't fear for people's safety, and some of the choices made are... kinda dumb. Like Dominion, you got dinosaurs loose on the world, no fences, they can be amongst the people, walking into cities, disrupt livelihoods, sets up dino apocalypse is happening! But no, the locust are the BIGGEST threat and it's... what? I was so ready to see civilization uprooted, what would be done, the chaos of it all and it's like no, let's focus on the big bugs. The dinos are good, they're not a threat or the major focus.

I was so mad.

I think the only ones that got close to old JP level of quality was Camp Cretaceous s1 and s3, and the short film, Battle at Big Rock; all three were suspenseful and nerve wracking. Especially BaBR, that was scary to watch the first time, and it made me so pumped of what Dominion might've been bringing in.

Anyway! Jurassic Park, amazing. It still holds up great, I also think it was better than the book, more with the characters being more likable and more rooting for their survival. The book I was rooting for the dinosaurs more cause I didn't like most of the characters or root for their survival. Though I'll give the book was more terrifying and had some really gory gruesome deaths, some of which I'm ok with the movie not including.

And I wish the rest of the franchise kept in that horror aspect of old JP; I do think the only ones that came close where those 2 specific seasons of Camp Cretaceous and Battle at Big Rock.

#ask Punchie #Punchie rants #jurassic park #jurassic series

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dumpsterfirepropaganda · 2 years ago

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So a while back, I decided to make a spreadsheet listing all of the franchises/series/properties/etc. that I have a special attachment to, along with specific elements/aspects that I particularly enjoy in the media I consume, in order to see if there was any one variable all of them had in common.

It ended up looking like this:

I added the year I got interested in each property as well, and it’s been funny to see the progression - you can see how it starts with the movies my parents showed me at the beginning, then the video games my friends introduced me to (or that I fortuitously found out about after skipping vacation bible school one day but the full version of that story is for another time), then my special interests growing out of a mix of those...then that little stretch in 2020-2021 where I started dipping my toes into things out of morbid curiosity and getting genuinely invested in them whoops

Anyway, I wanted to share this in case anyone else is interested in creating something like this. I think it’d be so fun to see what other people consider to be the most appealing aspects of the things they’re into, as well as how their tastes evolved over time!

(Zoomed in versions of the spreadsheet under the cut for easy reading, as well as abbreviated explanations of how I got into everything on this list, if you’re interested.)

Jurassic Park - I was obsessed with dinosaurs as a kid. My parents were like, “Hmm, she might like this - we’ll just make her cover her eyes for the scene where the T-rex eats that guy off of the toilet.”

Star Wars - Parents bought me Lego Star Wars for the Wii because THEY liked Star Wars but I had no clue what was going on, walked in on them watching Episode V and they let me stick around

Pokémon - All my closest friends were into it but I wasn’t allowed to play until finally my parents caved and let me get a DS and a copy of Platinum. Easily the franchise I am the most invested in ahaha

Sonic - Went to the phone store with my mom and they had a mobile version of Sonic 2 on one of the demo phones. Went home and got it on virtual console, literally defined how I play video games now

Mega Man - Picked up a copy of Nintendo Power (RIP) because it had Mewtwo on the cover. Featured character was Zero. His design activated all the neurons in my brain so I read everything I could about him and eventually got into the games, and now Mega Man characters own the deed to my house and my firstborn child

FNAF - Friend showed me a video of a playthrough at my parents’ 25th wedding anniversary. Scared the pants off of me. Couldn’t stop watching it.

Alien/Aliens - The Great Movie Ride at Disney, but specifically the waiting room where they play the trailers for the movies (I closed my eyes during the actual Alien section of the ride because it freaked me the heck out). That trailer stuck in my brain and one day I just decided I wanted to watch it. I’ve never mentioned them before but I need y’all to understand that these are my favorite movies of all time and I literally wrote a college essay about why they are so good

Metroid - Saw Samus in Super Smash Bros. Brawl and thought she was super cool. Got an SNES Classic for Christmas and tried out Super Metroid...instantly hooked. One of the most amazing games in the universe you guys

The Thing - Dad was like, “Oh yeah I watched that in theaters when I was 12 it’s great let’s watch it.” I couldn’t look my own dog in the eyes for three days.

Terminator - Wanted to check out more 80′s sci-fi. Plus Michael Biehn. Love Michael Biehn.

Twilight - Me and a close friend (neither of whom had grown up reading these) decided to watch the first one as a joke. Got invested. Ended up watching them all. Now I write Mega Man/Twilight fanfiction. Beware what you do ironically, folks.

Homestuck - Was vaguely aware of it for years but (like most people) had no clue what it was about until the Sarah Z video. Decided to give it a try.

It checks almost every single box on this spreadsheet, so...there’s my defense for that, I guess.

The Locked Tomb - Everybody kept posting weird things about this book series and it sounded too crazy NOT to read

Subnautica - I love the ocean. I love space. I love aliens. I couldn’t get a copy of Pokémon Violet at Wal-Mart and wanted something new to play and it happened to be on the shelf.

#dumpsterfire drabbles #fandom list #If any of you decide to try this please please tag me!!! I'd love to see it

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fizotablog · 11 months ago

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Osaka's Family Fun: Exploring Theme Parks, Universal Studios Japan, and Kid-Friendly Attractions

Osaka, Japan’s third-largest city, is a hub of family-friendly attractions that promise fun and excitement for kids of all ages. This guide provides an overview of the top attractions that should be on your family’s itinerary.

Universal Studios Japan

Image by Eyang Sabur from Pixabay

Universal Studios Japan is a must-visit for families. This world-renowned theme park features a range of attractions based on popular films and shows. Whether you’re casting spells in the Wizarding World of Harry Potter, escaping dinosaurs in Jurassic Park, or joining the Minions in their mayhem, there’s an adventure for everyone. Don’t forget to catch the parades and shows that happen throughout the day, they’re a spectacle not to be missed!

Osaka Aquarium Kaiyukan

Photo by 𝗔𝗹𝗲𝘅 𝘙𝘢𝘪𝘯𝘦𝘳 on Unsplash

Dive into the deep at the Osaka Aquarium Kaiyukan, one of the largest public aquariums in the world. It’s like embarking on a journey across the Pacific Rim, with each tank representing a specific region and its marine life. From playful otters to majestic whale sharks, it’s an underwater adventure that will leave your family in awe.

Legoland Discovery Center

At the Legoland Discovery Center, your kids can bring their wildest imaginations to life. With millions of Lego bricks, interactive rides, and a 4D cinema, it’s a world of creativity and fun. And don’t miss the mini Osaka made entirely from Lego bricks - it’s a masterpiece!

Osaka Castle Park

Photo by silversea on Unsplash

Step back in time at Osaka Castle Park. Explore the iconic Osaka Castle, a symbol of Osaka and an important piece of Japanese history. The park itself is a beauty, especially during the cherry blossom season when the grounds are covered in a blanket of pink. It’s a perfect spot for a family picnic!

KidZania Osaka

At KidZania Osaka, kids rule the world! This interactive city lets kids try out various professions in a fun and educational environment. Whether they dream of being a firefighter, a chef, or a pilot, KidZania brings their dreams to life.

Osaka Science Museum

Add a touch of learning to your fun at the Osaka Science Museum. With interactive exhibits and planetarium shows, it’s a place where science meets fun. It’s not just for the kids, adults will find themselves learning something new too!

Tsutenkaku Tower

Image by momax from Pixabay

End your day with a visit to the Tsutenkaku Tower. Known as the Eiffel Tower of Osaka, it offers panoramic views of the city. It’s a perfect way to wrap up your day of adventure.

An Unforgettable Journey

From thrilling theme parks and fascinating aquariums to historical sites and interactive play centres, Osaka is a playground for kids and adults alike. So pack your bags and get ready for a fun-filled family adventure in Osaka. Remember, in Osaka, every day is a new discovery!

And don’t forget, you can plan and book your dream vacation in under 2 minutes with Fizota, your one-stop destination for travel.

#osaka travel #osaka tour #osaka trip

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universalinfo · 1 year ago

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Unlocking the Magic: The Best Theme Parks for Your Family Vacation in California

Ah, California. With its sun-soaked beaches, majestic forests, and bustling cities, it's no wonder this state is a dream destination for many. But what if we told you that besides all its natural and urban wonders, to have a family vacation in California is also home to some of the most entertaining theme parks in the world?

Today, we've handpicked 5 theme parks in the Golden State that promise nothing but laughter, adventure, and unforgettable memories. Buckle up, because it's going to be a wild ride. Are you ready?

1. Disneyland and California Adventure: Where Magic Meets Imagination

Ah, Disneyland. Stepping into this park is like entering a storybook. With every corner you turn, a new story unfolds.

Ever dreamt of being a prince or princess? Sleeping Beauty's Castle will transport you straight into a fairy tale. For those in search of a pirate's life, brace yourselves as you sail through the Pirates of the Caribbean. The aroma of popcorn, the twinkling lights, and the sheer joy on everyone's faces make every moment here magical.

Next door, California Adventure celebrates the beauty and spirit of the Golden State. Ever wanted to feel the thrill of flying? Soarin' Over California will let you glide over the state's iconic landscapes. And Radiator Springs? It’s not just a pit stop in the Cars movie, but a lively town where you can race alongside Lightning McQueen. From morning to night, there's never a dull moment at these twin parks.

2. Universal Studios Hollywood: Your Cinema Dreams, Now a Reality

The red carpet is rolled out, and the clapperboard is set. Welcome to Universal Studios, where every day is a movie premiere. As you enter, you're greeted by the sights and sounds of Hollywood's golden era. But this isn't just a walk down memory lane; it's an adventure waiting to unfold.

Feel the chills of the Jurassic era as a T-Rex roars inches away from you in Jurassic World. Or maybe stroll down Diagon Alley, pick up a wand, and sip on a butterbeer? The Wizarding World of Harry Potter is every Potterhead's dream come true.

And the Studio Tour? It’s not just a ride; it's a behind-the-scenes glimpse into where the magic of cinema is crafted. With every attraction, you're not just watching a story: you're living it.

3. LEGOLAND California Resort: Brick by Brick, An Adventure Awaits

Imagine a world where those tiny LEGO bricks come alive. That's LEGOLAND for you. Every structure, from towering castles to bustling cityscapes, is a testament to imagination. As you wander around, it's hard not to be in awe of what can be created from these tiny blocks.

Miniland USA is a delightful miniaturized version of iconic American cities, all built from millions of LEGO bricks. For the knights and princesses, the Dragon Coaster in the Castle Hill section offers a fun ride with just the right amount of thrill. And on a hot Californian day, what's better than the LEGOLAND Water Park? Slide, splash, and play to your heart's content.

But LEGOLAND isn't just about looking and riding; it's about building too. With numerous play areas and build stations, kids (and adults) can let their imagination run wild, crafting their own LEGO masterpieces. It's not just a park; it's a canvas for creativity.

4. SeaWorld San Diego: An Ode to the Oceans and Their Inhabitants

Dive into a world where the mysteries of the deep blue come alive! SeaWorld San Diego isn't just another theme park; it's a celebration of our planet's magnificent marine life. From the get-go, the park immerses you in a rhythmic dance of colors and sounds that mirror the very essence of the sea.

Ever wondered how it feels to be close to a majestic killer whale, its black and white forms cutting through the water with grace? The Orca Encounter show not only showcases these beautiful creatures but also educates visitors about their habits and the challenges they face. For a lighter, more playful interaction, don't miss Clyde & Seamore's Sea Lion and Otter show, where laughs are guaranteed. For more details visit us at https://www.dreamswishestravel.com/.

But it's not all shows and spectacles. The Manta roller coaster allows you to soar like a manta ray, feeling the rush of the ocean breeze. And the Journey to Atlantis? A perfect blend of a roller coaster and a water ride, ensuring exhilarating splashes and delightful giggles.

5. Six Flags Magic Mountain: Where Thrills Meet the Sky

Hold onto your hats, because Six Flags Magic Mountain promises a ride that will make your heart race! As you approach the park, the silhouettes of towering roller coasters reaching for the sky are a testament to the adrenaline-packed day that awaits.

For those brave enough, the X2, with its rotating seats and face-first drops, is not just a rollercoaster; it's an experience that defies gravity. Tatsu, on the other hand, makes you feel like a bird, as you fly over the park with your face down and nothing but the sky above. If you're in for something slightly milder yet equally fun, the classic wooden coaster, Apocalypse, offers a nostalgic ride back in time.

But Six Flags isn't just about the big thrillers. Families can bond over rides like the Road Runner Express or the Magic Flyer, which offer a gentler but equally captivating experience. And for those scorching Californian days? The Tidal Wave water ride ensures a refreshing splashdown that will leave you drenched and laughing.

Dreams and Wishes Travel: Crafting Your Ideal Theme Park Vacation

While all these theme parks promise an exciting family vacation in California, planning such a trip can be daunting. That's where we, at Dreams and Wishes Travel, come in. We aren't just another travel agency; we're your fairy godmothers of vacations.

Our seasoned team understands the ins and outs of these parks, and with our holistic approach, we make sure your family gets the best out of every moment. Whether it's reserving the perfect hotel, ensuring you have those much-coveted dinner reservations or even getting you fast-passes to bypass those lengthy queues, we've got you covered.

Why? Because at Dreams and Wishes Travel, we believe in turning dream vacations into reality, ensuring every trip becomes a cherished memory.

In Conclusion

California is truly a land of dreams. Its theme parks offer a mix of adventure, magic, and unparalleled fun, ensuring that your family vacation in California remains etched in your hearts forever.

And remember, if the thought of planning overwhelms you, we at Dreams and Wishes Travel are always here, eager to craft your perfect getaway. So pack your bags, gather your loved ones, and let's embark on a journey filled with joy, laughter, and a touch of magic. After all, isn't that what family vacations are all about?

Learn More:

Vacation in California

#Tour #Travel #Trip #Fun #Park #Vacation #Family vacation #Quality time #Family Vacation California

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sebsxphia · 2 years ago

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I totally agree with that other anon, your agere stuff give me life too 😭

could you do something for Fanboy as a caregiver for his little?

I feel like he would be so good with kids so he would be perfect for a partner that's a regressor

bless you!! thank you so much dear anon!! 💖

yes of course! i hope you enjoy the below! 💌

I completely agree with you, he already has a knack for being good with children, so when you propose this to him, it doesn’t phase him in the slightest and he’s more than happy to be your caregiver.

He definitely nerds out with you and will buy you all the toys you want. It’s kinda a win win for him! He gets to buy the latest Star Wars Lego set and he’ll have you sat in his lap helping you piece it together.

He does all the complicated details while he lets you finish off the final pieces, giving you a big kiss on your cheek when you both finish it.

He absolutely adores play time with you and will always find time to play with you on your soft mat. You both changed a whole room in your house to your play room and it’s full with toys and hanging airplanes from the ceiling.

He’s definitely brought any pop culture related pajamas too. “What do you want tonight, sweetheart? Star Trek or Lord of The Rings?”

He loves watching all your favourite television shows and films with you too, because some of them he loved when he was a kid himself. If you’re watching Jurassic Park and it gets a bit too freighting for you, you’ll bury your face in his chest and hide.

He’ll hold your head and run his fingers through your hair, cooing you. “It’s alright, baby girl. It’s over now.”

His nick names for you are “baby girl”, “sweetheart” or “little one.”

#💌you’ve got mail #fanboy x little!reader #mickey fanboy garcia

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gracielovelight · 2 years ago

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I just recorded three Wizard101 videos! So, make sure you catch up with the series! Have fun with it! I really hope you'll like, subscribe, and leave a comment showing me how you feel about said videos!

Hopefully now that I have downloaded my files from my buggy OneDrive, I can revamp the thumbnails like I did with my LEGO Jurassic World let's plays thumbnails like this one:

You shout the words of power :

NEW THE PLAYER ZER0 VIDEO HAS RELEASED, GO CHECK IT OUT!

#wizard101 lets play #the player zero #the player zer0 #arbitrium studios #gracie lovelight #wizard101 #magical destinies #jurassic park #jurassic world #lego jurassic park #lego jurassic world #lego #the player zero lego #the player zer0 lego

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im-in-love-with-pizza-bites · 3 years ago

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To Raise Children: Chapter 25

Chris Evans X Daughter!Reader, Grandpa!Chris Evans X Flynn and Felix Evans (OCs) Tom Holland X Single-Mom!Reader (Slow Burn)

Series Masterlist

OC List

Series Summary: It's been 4 years, your sons are starting kindergarten, you're starting junior year of college, a lot has changed.

Chapter Summary: Time skip, to April!

Series Warnings: Age gap (Reader is 20, Tom is 29), absent father, mentions teen pregnancy, mentions abortion, if you see anymore please let me know politely.

Chapter Warnings:

Sequel to "It Takes A village"

It's April! A few things have happened since Christmas, firstly Chris is away filming a movie so you and the boys have the whole house to yourselves. Flynn got his cast off, his arm is as good as new. Tom and you have been dating for 4 months it's been good. Long distance is hard. Luckily he's going to be in New York next weekend and you and the boys are taking a trip up. You convinced Sebastian to let you stay with him. It wasn't hard he was excited to see you and the twins. Mostly the twins. The twins were excited for the trip, you have only taken them to California, other than that they've spent their lives in Massachusetts. They've also never ridden on a train and your taking a train to New York.

Sebastian knows why you're coming to New York. He even offered to babysit the twins so you could go on a date with Tom. As far as you think, the boys don't know you have a boyfriend or that it's Tom, but they've known since you told Chris. They don't know why you're going to New York. You're waiting until the 6 months mark to tell them and then slowly your start integrating Tom in their lives after maybe 8-9 months. You were taking it slow, you wanted to make sure their hearts wouldn't be broken if you and Tom didn't work. Tom understood, he's never dating a single mom before but he understands that he'll be put behind your sons. He knows that and he wouldn't have it any other way, he'd put them before him too.

"Mommy why are we going to New York?" Flynn asks you smiling.

"Well your Uncle Seb has been missing us so we're gonna spend a few days with him." You explain as you drive home.

"Oh mommy when will we visit Gran or Amelia?" Felix asks.

"Well we're gonna visit Amelia this summer and we might try to make a trip up to texas, and we'll bring Poppy!" You explain. Maybe a trip to your hometown won't hurt, besides Gran told you that Jake left town he moved to Mississippi with some girl he met in college. Apparently, that's where she's from. You don't care you just know he won't be there. Sure his parents and your mom would be there but you can avoid them.

"Cool! This summer is gonna be so much fun!"

"Yeah it is." You smile.

"I can't wait to swim! And Uncle Scott said that if we bring the hose on top of the slide it'll be a water slide!"

"He did? Well we'll have to try it."

———

The twins were in the living room playing video games. You're on the phone with tom while you cook dinner.

"I know Tom I already got the train tickets, and Sebastian is letting us stay with him. He even offered to watch the twins so we can go on a date."

"That's great! I guess Sebastian doesn't hate me as much as he says he does." Tom says smirking, you're on a face time call.

"Yeah. I'm really excited to see you." You smile at him.

"Me too."

"Mom!"

"Yes desr?"

"Felix keeps killing me on our game!" Flynn frowns.

"What game are you playing?"

"Lego Jurassic park."

"Felix! Please stop killing your brother." You shout.

"Fine!" He shouts back.

"Thank you mommy." Flynn grins before running off.

"When does your dad get back?"

"July hopefully. I found a daycare for the twins though so they're covered."

"That's good. I should be able to make more trips to the states this summer so maybe we can hang out?"

"Yeah I have a trip to Virginia with the boys to meet their sister planned but I might be able to spare a little bit of my time for you." You tease. He smiles.

"For little 'ole me. I'm honored." He jokes. He looks away from his phone and you can hear Sam talking. "One second mate im talking to Y/n."

"Hi y/n!" He says, before walking into the frame of the call.

"Hey Sam. What are you doing this late?"

"Yelling at Tom for being so loud. We have thin walls." He glares at his brother.

"Your just mad I have a girlfriend to stay up talking to and you don't." Tom rolls his eyes.

"No im mad that you have to keep me up to 3 am flirting with your girl." Sam argues.

"Get out of my room." Tom rolls his eyes.

"Not till you agree to shut up."

"Y'all are worse than my five year olds." You roll your eyes, as you continue cooking dinner "Boys! Go get cleaned up! Dinner is almost done!"

"Yes mommy!" They both shout

"I forgot you had kids. Do they know about Tom?" Sam asks you.

"No we haven't told them yet."

"We know." Flynn says from the doorway. You look at him confused.

"I'm sorry... Did poppy tell you?"

"No."

"Uncle Scott?"

"Nope."

"I didn't tell them either." Sam laughs from on the phone.

"Whos that?" Flynn asks.

"That's Tom's other brother."

"Oh."

"Hi let me guess you're Felix?" Sam asks.

"I'm clearly Flynn you dummy." He rolls his eyes.

"Flynn Scott! We do not call people Dummies." You scold.

"Sorry."

"It's okay buddy."

"Okay Flynn sugarplum how did know that me and tom are dating?" You asked, as Felix enters the kitchen.

"We heard you talking to Poppy." Felix says smiling.

"Oh you did?"

"Yeah before Christmas!"

"You've known that long and didn't tell her?" Tom asks.

"She told poppy it was a secret and if we told her she'd know we were listening. But we just wanted to know what Poppy got us for Christmas!" Flynn argues.

"Do you two have any questions?"

"Okay I'm gonna go now. Tom keep it down you twat-"

"Sam! Children." Tom slaps his brother.

"Kids don't repeat the shit I say okay?" Sam says before leaving.

"Whos he?" Felix asks.

"That's my brother." Tom says.

"Oh he seems mean."

"He's just cranky. So do you boys have any questions for me or Tom?"

"If you're dating tom does that mean he's our dad? Cause my friend Emery's dad started dating a lady and now she's emery's step mom." Felix says.

"Well uh." You didn't know what they were gonna ask but you didn't expect this.

"No im not your dad. If me and your mom every get married, then I'd be your step-dad."

"Oh, so we're still dadless?" Flynn asks. Your heart breaks a little. You hated that they noticed the absence now. Maybe you shouldn't let Jake meet them, you just had a bad feeling about it all. You didn't want them to get attached to him just for him to decide being a dad was to hard. But what if you not letting them meet him hurts them more.

"I told you so." Felix says to his brother. Flynn shrugs frown.

"Let's eat! Say bye to Tom." You say on hopes of changing the subject.

"Bye Tom!" They both say.

"Bye boys, bye love." And the phone call disconnects. You instruct them to go list down while you bring the food to the table.

"Mom why does everyone else but us get a daddy?" Felix asks. You frown looking at them.

"I don't know babe." You say softly.

"Everyone in our class has dads. You even get one!" Flynn frowns.

"I know."

"It's not fair."

"Will we ever get a dad?"

"That's something only time will tell Shortcake."

"Will it be tom?"

"Boys I don't want you getting attached to him. Okay? Relationships don't always work out." You tell them.

"Oh."

Taglist: @fic-for-readers @denisemarieangelina @thevelvetseries @kaitieskidmore1 @ellerosie2332 @tahniemarie @runawayolives @marajillana @buckybarnez @positivelyholland @firehoseevan @coldmuffinpartycloud @beautifulrose0809 @believinghurts @laura-naruto-fan1998 @shadow-dixon @claaaaaaire-blog @mrs-brekker15 @h-j-s-03 @moniffazictress11 @buxkybarnez @ducks118 @kalopsia-flaneur @silverrmist @some-lovely-day @peterparkerbae @Olivia197810 @gengen64 @Bellagaseta20 @hollzo-03 @bubb1eana1ee @cmalas @jamie0515 @mpamphsss @bucketbarnes12 @lyraficrecs @hunni-bunny @lyrarodriguez @snigdha-14 @cedricdiggorysimpp @Multifandom_Boss_Bitch @sea040561 @queensgirl718

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blazehedgehog · 3 years ago

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How do you feel about Chris Pratt as Mario?

I think like a lot of people I'm not happy with it.

But here's the deal: I can picture Everett's voice from The Lego Movie coming out of Mario's mouth and I don't mind. Not Nintendo's Mario, obviously, but I imagine there will be a more expressive, stretchy, cartoony "Illumination-style" Mario and I can hang with that.

Like I said when Idris Elba was cast as Knuckles, that's Hollywood. They bank on star power and shun the real working joes of the voice acting industry. It sucks, but I'm sure they have metrics that spell out "when people think our product seems expensive, we sell more tickets." Ergo, you hire big star actors because they are a brand name. It's the Jurassic Park "spared no expense" thing. The smell of money is attractive.

But also, obviously, the tide is shifting against Chris Pratt. He tries to keep his head down regarding personal views, but things have been discovered, like how he joined Parler, which is the Twitter clone started exclusively by and for angry red state conspiracy crazies. He apparently goes to a known Anti-LGBTQ Mega Church. And even before that, people were noticing that when the greasy fanboys were getting weird about harassing Brie Larson over Captain Marvel, Chris Pratt was one of the only MCU co-stars to not make a comment in defense of her. He's doing a good job avoiding creating controversies, but a viewpoint is still forming around him anyway, and it's not a very favorable one.

I'm also just kind of... getting sick of Chris Pratt? Even before people started putting the pieces together on his politics, Hollywood decided Pratt was an "It Man" and started putting him in everything, regardless of whether or not he fits. The point where I first noticed it was that first Jurassic World movie. They have him playing what's supposed to be this gruff, grumpy, ex-patriot-with-a-heart-of-gold sort of character and he just can't do it. Every time he gets too grizzled and serious I expect him to crack a smile and start laughing like, "nah man, I'm just messing with you."

youtube

There are those in Hollywood trying to make him the next Harrison Ford and he just doesn't have the cadence for that. Despite his politics, he seems too friendly and charming to be those kinds of characters. He's the lovable goof, not Indiana Jones.

So you announce him as Mario, and it's like, yeah, I can see it and it's moderately inoffensive. But it's a bland, predictable, tired choice. And there will be a point, probably in the next five years, where the dam could burst on that dude's bad politics. No matter how nice he may seem on the surface, there's a real chance that there's an angry white dude behind his curtain just waiting to get let out. If that's true, then one day he will come out.

Ergo, Chris Pratt was a bad choice.

On the plus side, Jack Black as Bowser is inspired and I hope they give him a heavy metal ballad.

#questions #anonymous #nintendo #mario #chris pratt #movie #illumination #Shigiru Miyamoto #harrison ford #hollywood

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rexsarmscar · 3 years ago

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if you had the chance… how would you rewrite the second lego movie? like what stuff would you replace/remove to make it better?

!!!! Ooohh oh boy oh man thank you so much for asking this, lemme get my Writing Cap on

*is now wearing a Jurassic Park hat that is unrelated to writing* Okay! So, as a precursor, The Lego Movie 2 is one of my all time favorite movies, so although I have plenty of things I would change about it, that doesn't mean I don't adore it!

My biggest complaint about The Lego Movie 2 is the way it handled characters. It feels like, in order to tell the story that they wanted to tell, they thought they had to really warp some of their own characters.

Metalbeard and Batman I totally understand happily going into the Apocalypseburg mindset, but I find it really hard to believe that Benny and Unikitty would commit fully. Like... When Emmet builds the "You're Awesome" sign and Benny shakes his head? I don't think he'd do that. Sure, I think Benny would have fun apocalypse-ing it up, but I don't think he'd turn his back completely on Emmet like that. Not Benny. And we don't really see much of Unikitty in Apocalypseburg when she isn't Ultrakatty.

Since the whole thing with them in the Systar System is "They're not brainwashed, they're just happy!" I would definitely have them show some glimmers of their true selves while in Apocalypseburg, like Benny smiling at Emmet's sign before catching Metalbeard's eye and stopping, or Unikitty joining Emmet and Lucy on the house tour and being happy to show their home. Signs that show they're not truly happy with the lives they live now. I mean we already see that with Batman, in how he complains about being a loner with a broken heart. Metalbeard I think is the only one that doesn't need that glimmer of his past self, because honestly he doesn't really change at all. 🤣

I also hate the erasure of GCBC and Lord Business. They just completely disregarded their character arcs. I mean I get it that maybe they didn't have as big of a budget for voice actors, and that's why they didn't bring back Will Farrel for more than a few lines, and didn't have Liam Neeson or Morgan Freeman at all. But they did those guys so, so dirty... They were such an important part of the first movie, I hated seeing them be completely sidelined for this story. Why the heck would the Man Upstairs immediately Peace Out from his favorite possessions the moment he tells his kids they can play???

The way I would handle Business being out of the picture is I'd at LEAST show Business trying to help in the pre-timeskip prologue, trying to get the aliens and Bricksburgers to play nicely. Maybe he gets 'eaten' by one of the aliens, like, The Man Upstairs's attempts to get them to play together fell on deaf ears with his daughter who didn't understand. Then maybe explain after the time skip that Business resigned and retired after that incident, that IRL once Finn and Bianca started completely taking over the basement, The Man Upstairs backed off and just let them have free reign.

And just... Let them have done SOMETHING with Vitruvius or GCBC! Preferably GCBC, I understand more so why Vitruvius wasn't involved, he died. I love everyone's headcanon about how Watevra would help Good Cop to make a full return 😔 I WOULD HAVE WANTED THAT SO BAD

I mean I also hate what they did to Rex. I like my headcanon that explains why it happens, but I'd love to have a confirmation of that so it doesn't feel like a throwaway, or I'd love to change it entirely so Rex doesn't have to disappear. It just felt so stupid in nothing but the context of the movie, analysis aside.

I also would have loved to see more of Mayhem and Watevra's interactions, and more of the Systarians in general, buuut they had a story to tell and that wouldn't have helped drive the plot much.

Anyway yeah those are the main things I would change! Mainly about characters, because I feel like they could have been handled better. But I still love this movie and the characters it introduced. 😊

#the lego movie 2 #benny tlm #benny blue chu #unikitty #gcbc #lord business #president business #vitruvius #rex dangervest #analysis #long post

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frankendykes-monster · 3 years ago

Text

Space Jam: A New Legacy is content to be content.

The original Space Jam was a calculated marketing exercise. Michael Jordan was the biggest sports star of the nineties, and Space Jam capitalised on Jordan’s brand potential while also allowing the athlete to refashion his own narrative into a family-friendly mythology. Space Jam packaged Jordan for a generation, smoothing the wrinkles out of his story by presenting a wholesome family man making an earnest transition from basketball to baseball.

It also helped Warner Bros. to figure out what to do with their Looney Tunes characters, which had largely laid dormant within the company’s intellectual property vaults. There had been a conscious effort to revitalised the company’s animation with shows like Tiny Toon Adventures and even Animaniacs, but those classic and beloved cartoons were a merchandising opportunity waiting to happen. So the logic of the original Space Jam was clear, it was an excuse to tie together two potentially profitable strands of intellectual property.

Space Jam itself was something of an afterthought. The movie struggles to reach its ninety-minute runtime. It often feels like the production team have to utilise every scrap of film to reach that target, with extended riffs focusing on Bill Murray and Michael Jordan on the golf course and with a lot of the improvisation from the voice cast included in the finished film. The movie’s ending comes out of nowhere, and Space Jam struggles to hit many of the basic plot beats of a scrappy sports movie.

The movie itself was immaterial to the success of Space Jam as a concept. After all, the film only grossed $250m at the global box office, enough to scrape into the end of year top ten behind The Nutty Professor and Jerry Maguire. However, the film’s real success lay in merchandising, with the film generating between $4bn and $6bn in licensing and merchandising. Key to this was the success of the six-time platinum-certified soundtrack which remains the ninth highest-grossing soundtrack of all-time.

In some to trace a lot of modern Hollywood back to the original Space Jam. So much of how companies package and release modern media feels like an extension of that approach, the reduction of the actual film itself to nothing more than “content” that exists as a larger pool of marketable material. After all, the unspoken assumption underlying AT&T’s disastrous decision to send all of their blockbusters to HBO Max was the understanding that HBO Max itself was often packaged free with company’s internet. Movies would no longer be their own things, but just perks to be packaged and sold as part of larger deals.

In the decades since the release of Space Jam, the industry has become increasingly focused on the idea of packaging and repackaging intellectual property. It has become increasingly common for films to showcase multiple intellectual properties housed at the same studios. Simple crossovers like Alien vs. Predators or The Avengers now seem positively humble when compared to the smorgasbord of brand synergy on display in projects like The Emoji Movie or Ralph Breaks the Internet.

Interestingly, as Disney have steadily securing their intellectual property portfolio with additions like Pixar and Lucasfilm and Marvel Studios and 20th Century Fox, Warner Bros. have becoming increasingly bullish about showcasing the depth and breadth of their bench. The LEGO Movie imagines a wide range of properties consolidated under one brand. Ready Player One depicted a pop culture user space lost in nostalgia for properties and trinkets. However, those movies also managed to tell their own stories, even as they grappled with the weight of brand synergy pushing down on top of them.

Space Jam: A New Legacy has no such delusions. It understands that it does not exist as a story or as a feature film. Instead, it has distilled cinema down to a content-delivery mechanism. The plot of the movie finds basketball star LeBron James sucked into the “Serververse” and forced to ally with the Looney Tunes in order to play a basketball game with the fate of the world in the balance. However, while the original Space Jam ran a brisk and unfocused ninety minutes, A New Legacy extends itself to almost two hours. There is always more content to repackage and sell, after all.

A New Legacy slathers its cynicism in nostalgia, directly appealing to a generation of audiences who have convinced themselves that Space Jam was a good movie and a beloved childhood classic. A New Legacy is built around the understanding that the original Space Jam walked so that it might run, counting on the audience’s nostalgia for the original film to excuse a lot of its indulgences. After all, it would be a betrayal of the franchise if A New Legacy wasn’t a crash and vulgar cash-in. In many ways, A New Legacy does what most sequels aspire to do, scaling the original film’s ambitions aggressively upwards.

As with the original Space Jam, there is layer of irony to distract from the film’s clear purpose. In the original Space Jam, the villainous Swackhammer planned to abduct the Looney Tunes and force them to play at his themeparks. The implication was that the characters did not want to be sold into corporate servitude, stripped of their own identity and rendered as crass tools of unchecked capitalism. The irony of Space Jam lay in the fact that the entire movie was a variant on Swackhammer’s themepark and the Looney Tunes were dancing to that theme anyway as Daffy puckers up and kisses the Warner Bros. stamp on his own ass.

In A New Legacy, a sentient algorithm – Al G. Rhythm – is cast as the movie’s primary antagonist. The film gestures broadly at a satirical criticism of the modern film industry, with Al G. Rhythm shaping and warping the future of movie-making by suggesting things like computer-generating movie stars and producing a constant array of recycled intellectual property. A New Legacy recognises the machinations of Al G. Rhythm as unsettling and horrifying, with throwaway jokes about the theft of ideas and the violation of privacy, but the villain largely serves as a smokescreen to let the movie have its cake and eat it.

After all, A New Legacy revels in Al G. Rhythm’s plans. LeBron James is turned into an animated figure and dumped into classic Looney Tunes shorts like Rabbit Season and The Rabbit of Seville. The film understands that while the audience might be afraid of the algorithm, they also yearn for it. After all, it isn’t Al G. Rhythm who structures A New Legacy so that the film spends an extended sequence touring the company’s beloved intellectual properties.

A New Legacy is really just an investors’ day presentation that celebrates the sheer amount of content that Warner Bros. own. It’s not too difficult to imagine the film screened investors before the Discovery deal, as proof of just how many viable franchising opportunities existed within the copyright of the company itself. It’s a weird and unsettling showcase, in large part because it feels like that warning from Jurassic Park. The studio were so obsessed with whether they could do a thing that they never stopped to consider whether they should.

The film’s middle section includes a whirlwind tour of the properties owned by Warner Bros. After Bugs “plays the hits” with James, the two set off on an adventure to recover the other Looney Tunes from other beloved Warner Bros. properties. Some of these advertisements make sense: Daffy and Porky are living in the world of Superman: The Animated Series, while Lola seems to have found the Wonder Woman from the Bloodlines animated films. Others make much less sense in a movie aimed at kids, like the Roadrunner and Wile E. Coyote hiding in Mad Max: Fury Road or Yosemite Sam living in Casablanca.

Of course, it’s debatable how much of A New Legacy is aimed at kids, as compared to the kids of the nineties. Its target market seems to be kids in the late nineties who never grew up, because they never had to. Elmer Fudd and Sylvester are hiding out in Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me. Granny and Speedy have taken refuge in the opening scenes of The Matrix. While the original Space Jam featured odd pop cultural shoutouts to things like Pulp Fiction, at least that was somewhat contemporaneous.

To be fair, there is no art driving these choices. Many of these references serve to point the audience towards established properties. It is a sentient recommendation algorithm for HBO Max and a handy way of stoking audience interest in upcoming projects like The Matrix 4 (December 2021) or Furiosa (June 2023). It is a helpful reminder that Superman: The Animated Series has been remastered in high definition to stream on HBO Max. Foghorn Leghorn even rides a dragon from Game of Thrones to remind viewers that the show is streaming on HBO Max and that there are prequels coming.

It’s all very bizarre, but also strangely lifeless. The climax of the film finds the inevitable basketball game played in front of a crowd of familiar pop culture icons drawn from a wide range of sources: King Kong, The Iron Giant, Batman ’66, The Wizard of Oz, The Mask and many more. It feels very much like a surreal power play, a company showcasing the depth of its own vaults at a turbulent time in the industry. It leads to weird moments, like Al G. Rhythm even quoting Training Day, perhaps the film’s most unlikely draw from the “Warner Bros. Intellectual Property Vault.”

The most revealing aspect of the movie is its central conflict, with Al G. Rhythm cynically manipulating LeBron’s son Dom. Dom is convinced that his father doesn’t understand him, that his father is unable to see that his skill lies in video game coding rather than old-fashioned basketball. Rhythm is able to create a schism between father and son, using Dom’s code and his anger to attack and undermine LeBron James and the Looney Tunes. It’s a very broad and very archetypal story. There are no points for realising that Dom eventually comes around to his father and accepts that Rhythm is a villain.

However, it signals an interesting shift in these sorts of narratives. Traditionally, these sorts of generational conflicts played out between fathers and sons, with fathers presented as antagonistic and sons presented as heroic. The original Star Wars saga is built around Luke Skywalker trying to wrestle and grapple with his father Darth Vader. In Superman II, the eponymous superhero is forced to confront Zod, a representative of his father’s generation and the old world. Even in Batman Begins, Bruce Wayne is set against his surrogate father figure Ra’s Al Ghul.

The metaphor driving these sorts of stories was fairly simple and straightforward. Every generation needs to come into their own and take control of their own agency within the world. Star Wars: Episode VI – Return of the Jedi ends with Darth Vader dead and Luke staring out into the wider universe. Times change, and each generation has an obligation to try to create a better world than the one left to them by their parents. In the conflict between parents and children, it has generally been children who have prevailed.

However, in recent years, the trend has swung back sharply. It’s notable that the villain in Star Wars: Episode VII – The Force Awakens is an errant child who doesn’t properly respect his parents, and that Star Wars: Episode IX – The Rise of Skywalker ends with order restored when the protagonist takes the name of the beloved heroes of the older films. Shows like Star Trek: Picard are built around the idea that kids need their older generation of parents to swoop in and tell them how to properly live their lives.

A New Legacy is an interesting illustration of this trend. The movie ends with a reconciliation between LeBron and Dom, but it is very clearly on LeBron’s terms. Dom is manipulated and misled by sinister forces, and his father has to save him while realigning his moral compass. Father knows best. It demonstrates how the underlying logic of these stories has shifted in recent years, perhaps reflecting the understanding that perhaps the older generation won’t surrender the floor gracefully.

As with Ready Player One, there’s a monstrous Peter Pan quality to A New Legacy. It is a film about how the culture doesn’t have to change. It can be recycled and repurposed forever and ever and ever. At the end of Space Jam, Michael Jordan and Bugs Bunny parted ways. There was an understanding that the two worlds existed apart from one another. However, A New Legacy ends with the collapse of these worlds into one another; the “Serververse” manifesting itself in the real world. As LeBron walks home, Bugs asks if he can move in.

Of course, with HBO Max subscription, the audience can take Bugs home anytime they want

#long post

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